III.

a b s t r a c tBackground: Surgery for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) is often complicated by intestinal failure (IF) and intestinal failure associated cholestasis (IFAC). Objective: Assessment of incidence, predictors, and mortality associated with IFAC in surgically treated NEC and SIP. Methods: A retrospective observational study based on hospital records during 1986-2014 in the two largest Finnish neonatal intensive care units was performed. IFAC was defined as conjugated bilirubin N 34 μmol/l (2.0 mg/dl) for ≥ two postoperative weeks while receiving parenteral nutrition (PN). Results: In total 225 patients underwent surgery for NEC (n = 142; 63%) or SIP (n = 83; 37%). Included were 57 survivors with ≥two weeks PN. Sixty-five (42%) patients developed IFAC. Two-year survival with IFAC was 80% and without IFAC 89% (p = 0.13). Of the 65 patients with IFAC, all eight with unresolved IFAC died in comparison to six of 57 (11%) whose IFAC resolved (p b 0.0001), while IFAC resolved in all survivors. Survival among patients with resolved IFAC was 89% and with unresolved IFAC (n = 8) 0%, (p b 0.0001). IFAC lasted for median 83 (IQR 45-120) days and correlated with the duration of PN (R2 = 0.16, p = 0.03), delay of starting enteral feeds (R2 = 0.12, p = 0.05) and PN lipid emulsion (RR = 1.0 (95% CI = 1.0-1.1) (p = 0.02). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, IFAC development associated with septicemias and reoperations. Conclusions: 42% of prematures who underwent surgery for NEC or SIP developed IFAC. Reoperations and septicemias increased the risk of IFAC. None of the patients with unresolved IFAC survived, but IFAC did not increase overall mortality. Type of study: Retrospective prognosis study. Level of evidence: Level II.

Introduction The aim of this study was retrospective assessment of late major reoperations after surgery for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) in neonates. Materials and Methods Appropriate ethical consent was obtained. Data collection was by review of hospital records of 165 successive prematures who underwent surgery for NEC (n = 99) or SIP (n = 66) from 1986 to 2019. Outcome measures were late major abdominal surgeries or endoscopies that occurred after the primary surgical treatment, closure of enterostomies, and weaning from parenteral nutrition (PN). We assessed also risk factors for late abdominal surgeries. Results Hundred and twenty-six (76%) patients (NEC, n = 70, 71% and in SIP, n = 56, 85%) survived. Median follow-up was 13 (interquartile range: 5.9–23) years. Nineteen (15%) patients underwent late abdominal surgery with 0% mortality. Most common was surgery for small bowel obstruction (SBO) in 12(9.5%) patients (NEC, n = 5; 7.0%, SIP, n = 7; 13%, p = 0.36) with 10-year cumulative risk of 8.7 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.5–14). Long duration of PN and development of intestinal failure associated cholestasis (IFAC) increased the risk of SBO surgery, relative risk: 1.0–3.2 (95% CI: 1.0–9.1), p = 0.02–0.03. Other surgeries included serial transverse enteroplasty (NEC, n = 2), incisional hernia repair (n = 3), cholecystectomy (n = 1), and ovarian torsion (n = 1). Twenty (29%) NEC and four (7%) SIP patients required endoscopic assessment of postoperative symptoms (p = 0.003). Conclusion Late abdominal reoperations occurred in 15% of patients with NEC and SIP with nil mortality. SBO was the main indication. Risk of SBO was similar between NEC and SIP. Long PN and IFAC increased the risk of SBO.